Means for applying a bottom margin indicating mark to a paper sheet in a typewriting machine



May 6, 1952 MCKELLAR 2,595,801

MEANS FOR APPLYING A BOTTOM MARGIN INDICATING MARK TO A PAPER SHEET IN A TYPEWRITING MACHINE Filed May 29, 1950 llululnl 5 Patented May 6, 1952 MEANS FOR APPLYING A BOTTOM MARGIN INDICATING MARK TO A PAPER SHEET IN A TYPEWRITING MACHINE Malcolm McKellar, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Application May 29, 1950, Serial No. 165,055

3 Claims. l

The invention relates to improvements in typewriting machines, as described in the present specification and shown in the accompanying drawings that form a part of the same.

One of the main objects of the invention is to provide simple, practical and inexpensive means whereby the typist while inserting a sheet of paper into a typewriter, may quickly provide the sheet with a marking indicative of the desired point at which writing is to be discontinued, so that as the paper is advanced in the Writing process such marking will come into view and thus give the notice that will make possible the discontinuance of Writing at the desired point. In this manner a margin of any desired width at the bottomof a page may be assured and margins on consecutive pages may be kept uniform.

Another object of the invention is to provide for the application of the invention to existing machines, either through the simple expedient of substituting for the conventional paper table a paper ,table constructed according to my invention or the attachment to the table of a plate embodying my invention, so that in neither event will it be necessary to interfere with the platen or other operating part of the machine.

With'the above and other objects in view the invention consists in the novel features of construction, arrangements and combinations of parts set out in the present specification and more particularly pointed out in the claims for novelty following.

In describing the invention reference will be made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the upper portion of a typewriter showing my invention applied thereto and in marking cooperation with a sheet of paper, the latter being broken away at one end.

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1 but with the writing sheet advanced to show the marking in position to evidence the predetermined point at which writing is to be discontinued.

Figure 4 is a front elevation of a portion of a carriage showing the invention applied to a plate adapted for attachment to a paper table.

Like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the various figures.

Referring to the drawings, A indicates generally the carriage of a typewriter, which includes a platen I carried by the shaft 2 and being rotatable by means of the knobs 3; the tilting paper table 4 over which the sheet of paper 5 2. passes to the rear of the platen for movement around the under side of the platen; and the bail 6 by means of which the paper is directed up wardly at the front of the machine.

The present invention is primarily concerned with the paper table or other device over which the paper is adapted to pass in progress to and around the under side of the platen.

While the paper table may conform in peripheral outline to the conventional table it differs in surface contour from any heretofore known table in that it is provided with a number of bosses l on its upper face over which the paper is adapted to pass in progress to the platen, so that finger pressure applied against the surface of the paper over a boss will cause a corresponding protuberance on the face of the sheet of paper which will be perceivable to the typist but which will not mar the paper or leave a lasting mark.

The bosses l are preferably arranged in a number of rows indicated at 8, 9, I0 and H, respectively, extending lengthwise of the paper table from each end inwardly for short distances and the rows at the respective ends of the table are spaced vertically from one another so as to provide for selective markin of a sheet of paper within reasonable requirements as regards bottom margins.

The paper table is provided near its top edge and above the uppermost rows of bosses, with a datum line l2 which extends parallel with the platen I and serves as a guide in the positioning of the sheet in respect to the rows of bosses.

The table 4 is preferably also provided, at one or both ends, with graduations indicative of the distances of the respective rows of bosses from the datum line i2, as is shown at the right hand ends of Figures 1 and 3.

In practice the sheet of paper is inserted in the machine in the conventional manner. The marking of the sheet at the desired distance from the end of the sheet last entering the machine and which eventually becomes the bottom end of the sheet, may be accomplished either before the commencement of typing or during the process of typing. One way is to advance the sheet prior to the commencement of writing by rotating the platen until the end last entering the machine comes into alignment with the datum line, afterwhich finger pressure against the paper over any boss in the row indicated by the graduations to correspond in distance from the datum line to the desired depth of the bottom margin will cause a protuberance on the face of the paper, as at la. The paper may then be returned to position for commencement of writing and in due course during the writing progress the mark will come into view at the front of the platen and will serve as a notice to the typist that discontinuance of writing on a line even with the protuberance will give the desired margin therebelow.

If preferred, the margin marking can be accomplished before the paper is inserted in the machine by simply placing the sheet on the table with the top edge aligned with the datum line and then pressing against the paper at a point over a boss in the desired line and then placing the sheet in the machine with the unmarked end lowermost so that in due course the mark will come into view at the front of the platen.

The marking of the sheet by means of a boss may also be accomplished during the writing process, at the time the downwardly advancing edge of the sheet reaches a point even with the datum line.

In Figure 4 a modification of the invention is shown in which the datum line and the bosses are applied to a plate H3, or other device, adapted to be secured, removably or otherwise, so as to lie on the face of the table. By means of such a device the invention can be readily incorporated in existing machines without removing or interfering with any of the parts of the machine.

The plate i3 is shown as having its end portions l4 turned backwardly around the ends of the paper table and tightly gripping same but it is of course apparent that there are many ways in which fastening of the plate to the table can be accomplished.

While I have shown and described herein the present preferred forms of construction for carrying out my said invention these are capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details set out herein but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a rotatable platen, a paper table over which a sheet of paper is adapted to be passed to said platen, the said table being provided with a datum line parallel with and spaced from said platen, and a plurality of projections from said table adapted to lie behind said sheet of paper in its passage to said platen, said projections lying between said datum line and said platen and being spaced from said datum line and from one another lengthwise of the path of travel of the sheet of paper to said platen for selective pressure engagement by said sheet at a point distanced from the end edge of the sheet last entering the machine corresponding to the distance between the selected projection and the datum line when the said edge of the sheet is in correspondence with said datum line, whereby to produce a protuberance on the face of the sheet at a distance from the end thereof corresponding to the required bottom margin.

2. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a rotatable platen, a paper table over which a sheet of paper is adapted to be passed to said platen, the said table being provided with a datum line parallel with and spaced from said platen, a plurality of bosses extending outwardly from said table, said bosses being arranged in vertically spaced rows extending inwardly from opposite ends respectively of the said table parallel with said datum line, and indices indicative of the distances of the respective lines from said datum line, the said bosses being adapted for selective contact under pressureby said sheet of paper at a point distanced from the end edge of the sheet last entering the machine corresponding to the distance between the selected boss and the datum line when the said edge of the sheet is in correspondence with said datum line, whereby to produce a protuberance on the face of the sheet at a distance from the end thereof corresponding to the required bottom margin.

3. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a rotatable platen, and means over which a sheet of paper is passed to said platen, said means having a datum line parallel with and spaced from said platen, said means also having a plurality of bosses between said datum line and said platen adapted to underlie the sheet in progress to said platen whereby pressure brought to bear on said sheet against one of said bosses will produce a protuberance on the face of said sheet, said bosses being arranged in a plurality of rows paralleling said datum line between said datum line and said platen and said rows being spaced from each other progressively from said datum line in a direction towards said platen, whereby a protuberant marking may be produced on said sheet at a selected distance from the point on the sheet which is in alignment over said datum line, in accordance with the spacing of said rows of bosses from said datum line.

MALCOLM McKELLAR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 983,462 Steele Feb. '7, 1911 1,693,705 Blaisdell Dec. 4, 1928 

